Like a Shadow Follow Me
by pezolettalaya
Summary: A short story involving Hayabusa, Kagura and Hanabi.


Title is inspired from Kamelot's song Like the Shadows. Also, I do not own the characters in this story.

I am not too familiar with Japanese culture and traditions, so I am sorry if I made a mistake.

When a beam of light rapidly ascended the sky and sprinkled all over the town in pied glitters, she couldn't help herself looking at the enchanting fireworks all across the sky.

'Kagura!' The young man, disguised in black, grasped the girl's wrist and drew her aside from the intimidating crowd. 'We don't have time to waste. No doubt, he is still in this town, hiding somewhere in the backstreets. We have to catch him before he leaves the town. I mean, don't let anything with these festivals distract you, okay?' She could barely hear his voice in this deafening noise, thus all she could do was to nod at his words and follow him through the blinding crowd. Clearly, not to lose her in this flood that was formed of people, he held her hand tightly. A blazing blush climbed up to the roots of her albino hair, under her snow-white skin, giving a rosy color to her lovely cheeks, while they were striving to pass through the huge crowd.

At last, when he pulled her into a shady, secluded cross street. 'It must be the street which Tsubasa told me about...' Now his words were lucid with his perceptible voice. He released her hand and it was the time when she got aware of the inertia with her joints. While she was massaging her knuckles, Hayabusa began searching the walls and the cobblestone under their feet for a track.

'Who is Tsubasa?' Kagura asked; she had never heard of this name before.

'A friend of mine,' Hayabusa briefly answered her when he stopped looking around. 'He's the patron of the teahouse where we visited in the morning. I'm not surprised that you did not see us speaking. You couldn't take your eyes off of the geishas.'

'They had beautiful kimonos,' she replied, fiddling with the parts of her umbrella, without looking at him in the eyes, but that wasn't necessary to perceive his tender smile.

'I may buy a new kimono for you, once we're done with this business, but don't expect too much from me -since you can count me as broke,' he joked. Kagura chuckled amiably, her smile hidden behind her fingers, while struggling to hold down her dulcet laughter. For a moment, Hayabusa stared at her with a blatant admiration, thinking about how adorable she looked; though he knew that he could not let these thoughts distract him, he quickly gathered himself and resumed searching the street, looking for a hint to lead them to the right way.

Finally, he decided to investigate the house behind the locked door, which stood in the end of the alley. Even though the lane was clearly unfrequented, Hayabusa could tell that someone had been here recently, with his ultimate perception. The tracks were too indistinct to be detected by an ordinary person; it was difficult to notice, even for someone whose senses were as sharp as a ninja's. He picked the door's lock, which was quite complex for a commoner's house. It was when he understood that this building was not a simple house, but a shelter, mostly used by his enemies.

Cautiously, he opened the sliding door, and carefully, walked into the building, watching out every corner for trouble. Right after him, Kagura walked inside clumsily, to find herself in an abandoned room, decorated with dated and dusty furniture. Everything looked normal for a rarely inhabited house, except the fresh odor of cherry blossom filled the room. They weren't even in the flower season.

'Kagura, I think the one we are looking for, is a _she_.'

'A _she_?'

'I don't think any man would perfume himself with such a sweet scent.' Hayabusa told her, while he was tinkering with the rusty statuettes, which were arrayed on the timeworn shelves. He idly looked around until he noticed something strange with the decorative fan that was hung on the faded walls. 'Well, well, what have we here...' Taking the fan down, he revealed a hidden section behind it, which held a quaint key within itself. Impressed by his perception, Kagura wanted to take a look at the thing that he found, too; but unfortunately he threw it into his netsuke before she could see it.

'What did you-'

The ninja hushed her to hear the rhythmic clatters coming from the roofs.

'Follow me!' Hayabusa shouted, running to the stairs, knowing that it wouldn't matter if he told it more quietly. _She_ had already known that they were right behind her.

The young man climbed up the ladder in a hurry, dragging along Kagura. Once he was on the top of the building, without wasting time, he pursued the dark silhouette who was running on the loose tiles, admirably gracefully. Kagura thought it would be a great opportunity to show Hayabusa that she was no easy prey. She threw her umbrella across the street, and moved to the umbrella in a flash; she had no fear of heights. Then she hurled herself to another roof, leaving her umbrella behind; ignoring the people below her who were watching her absurd movements, she kept on running on her _okobo_ s behind the ninjas, trying to be a part of the chasing. But a momentary mistake detained her from doing this; she snagged at the edge of the roof and twisted her ankle. Her eyes covered tightly, she was falling down, screaming like, 'Hayabusa!'; just when she expected to clash on the ground roughly, she found herself in the soft arms of the ninja, staring at his face with widened eyes.

'Hayabusa?' Slowly, she left his arms, blushing like blossoming cherry flowers.

'How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from danger, Kagura?' he scolded her, a moment later, though this behavior was nothing more than acting. He could never get angry with this winsome girl.

Kagura was aware of his reasons to act like that; he was concerned for her, but still, she averted her eyes with a hint of guilt and decided to shift her ground. 'Where is the other ninja?' she inquired.

The young man frowned. 'I've lost her track. _Once again_...'

'I am sorry,' she responded dolefully. 'It's my fault.'

When he saw that she was on the verge of tears, he hugged her, without thinking. 'No, it's not.' Her crimsoned cheeks caught fire as he wrapped his arms around her. Even though it was pleasing to get wind of her camellia-scented hair, he knew that he had to tidy himself up soon.

'Hayabusa, look up,' Kagura whispered, suddenly. For a moment, they watched the lanterns soaring in the night sky and illuminating the nocturne, sentimentally. Then they walked to the _ryokan_ , without saying a word.

Their amount of money allowed them to rent only one room with only one bed, so Hayabusa had to prepare a suitable place to sleep on the tatami. Kagura, who sat on her knees, elegantly, while he was arranging the mattress, offered him one of the cushions on her futon, and he gladly accepted her offer. Even though she seemed like she listened to his twaddle about the softness of his _handmade_ futon, her mind was busy with thinking how she failed, while trying to show off her skills which could save her life at times. She believed, Hayabusa would not put his trust in her when it came to such matters. Sometimes, she thought that she was nothing but a hindrance, though he looked like he enjoyed keeping her close to him.

With tearful eyes, she went to sleep. Hayabusa was aware of that she was heartbroken, though he didn't dare to ask why, afraid of hurting her once again. He lied on the mattress, his troubled eyes locked on the ceiling, making plans on tracking the ninja with that shuriken in his hands and hitting his enemy with her own weapon.

With the earliest lights of the day, Kagura opened her eyes to find herself in Hayabusa's embrace, her cheeks flushed at no time. Although, she did not make any noise, he was awake, just like her. He blinked his sleepy eyes for a moment, just to be sure that it was her, his childhood friend, who lied in his arms. ' _Kuso_...' He immediately pushed himself away, while she was tidying up her kimono, avoiding eye contact. 'I'm sorry, Kagura... I didn't do it on purpose.'

She remained silent. He could see that her hands were trembling, making it impossible to tie her obi. Then he reached for the cloth fancied with plum flower patterns and tied her obi in a simple knot. She thanked him in a low voice, while wearing her _okobo_ s.

Then Hayabusa showed her the shuriken. 'She threw it to slow me down, well, she was successful,' he smirked. 'But... It seems, she couldn't figure on that I can track her with only one shuriken.' He took a closer look at the weapon, to examine the details and he found something very interesting. 'If this isn't Yumiko's signet...' With narrowed eyes, he inspected the carvings on the steel. 'Though it's nothing alike our own weapons.' He became quiet for a moment, trying to assimilate the things he figured out, then he added like he was speaking with himself. 'I knew something wasn't right with our blacksmith... Pack up your things, Kagura, we are going back to Iga.'

They set forth at noon. They rode a horse, which Kagura named Yuki, together, her arms wrapped around his waist. Though they seemed reluctant to look at each other's faces, they did not speak much. Hayabusa still felt ashamed for what happened in the morning, and Kagura couldn't help herself recalling that moment when he had her in his arms. But it was not the only matter which troubled her; the thought of her family back in Iga disturbed her very much. Actually, she was afraid to face them after the things she had done. Hayabusa did not know the whole story, and while there were so many troublesome problems to deal with, it was too hard for her to fill in the gaps.

Meanwhile, dark clouds were covering up the sky, which signed a rainy night, and Hayabusa did not like it, even a little bit. He had no doubt that whoever that ninja was, she was going to come back for the stolen shuriken, and if she was a little bit smarter one, she was going to do everything to prevent them from reaching Iga. This could indicate an ambush, or other means of interception, and the coming rainstorm surely was not going to smooth their way. He wouldn't worry about it if he was alone, but while he was with Kagura, he felt like he couldn't use his right hand. As a ninja, his skills were based on remaining hidden, but it was difficult to sneak in the shadows with someone who had no idea about sneaking. But he was worried about her more than he was worried about himself. Kagura insisted that she was not as helpless as he thought, yet her words were not satisfying enough for him. She was clumsy; she was aware of it, and Hayabusa couldn't let her walk into dangers without someone to protect her. This one had to be him.

Nightfall was nigh, and the gust was blinding them, yet there wasn't any _ryokan_ in their sight. He thought it would be better if they sought for a shelter, though he was not sure of that they could find any before it grew into a rainstorm. It was hard to explore the region under this threatening cloudburst, and darkening shadows were making it impossible.

Finally, as the ninja detected some disturbing movements above their head, he decided to continue on foot. After he pulled Kagura closer to him, he drew his katana, carefully, and checked his surroundings with cautious eyes. Just when he walked towards the woods to investigate the sounds, a familiar voice called him. 'Hayabusa, are you looking for me?'

He looked back to see the woman holding Kagura as her hostage, her shuriken leant against the girl's cheek, while she was despairingly struggling to get away from her. 'What a dramatic moment!' the ninja mocked, Hayabusa felt her cynical grin through her mask. 'Move one inch and I'll destroy this beautiful face.'

' _Chikushou_ ,' he muttered.

'Hand over the shuriken, now.' Hayabusa could not let her harm Kagura in any way. While he was about to do as she said, Kagura cried, ' _Shogyo Mujo_!', and the woman found herself pushed away, however she was able to whip away the shuriken, before she broke loose. Though he could catch her if he took the horse, he did not attempt to pursue her.

Kagura was fallen on her knees, her snow white hair veiling her scarred face, her hands were covered in blood. Hayabusa took her in his caring arms to help her get on the horse. He mounted after her, his mind busy with blaming himself for all these things, yet he was relieved that nothing worse happened to his dear friend. Though it was painful to relive the moment of his defeat; remembering the scornful look in her hateful eyes recalled lost memories back to him, and when he suddenly realized who she was, he figured out that he did not need that shuriken to trail her. But there was something he did not understand, why would she follow the order of Shadow Betrayer?

His frustration died away as the showering rain slowly let up, leaving a quiet, tranquil night behind. He let the road lead them, and they arrived at a _ryokan_ , in the woods, at midnight. After leaving the horse in the stables, they walked into the little building where poor, outworn surroundings welcomed them. He didn't have much coin left, so he had to rent the cheapest room, which was quite strait with only one futon, even smaller than the last one. In order not to spend any more coin, Kagura and Hayabusa offered the innkeeper to wash dishes in the return of a bowl of rice.

They had to change their clothes, before they could begin to do their work, because they were drenched with rain and did not want to get sick by catching cold. As they stepped into the kitchen, he did not let her touch the dishes. He brought a bucket of water from the well which held place behind the _ryokan_ , surrounded by a modest garden, but when he was back, he found her crying. It was unnecessary to ask her reasons; he knew them well, and he also knew that he had nothing to offer but his soothing embrace.

For a while, she cried on his shoulder with saddening tears. 'I'm sorry, Hayabusa, I know I'm nothing but a troublemaker. I came here to help you, but all I can do is to hold you back because of my clumsiness. Perhaps it would be better if I return to Iga, to my family, before I get us killed both.'

'Oh, no, don't say such things. You know, I can't let you go without me. We'll go back to Iga together. You don't know the perils of travelling alone, that ninja can ambush you anywhere in the woods.' He added in a low, hesitating voice: 'Besides, I like your presence around me.'

Kagura had sweet blooms on her damp cheeks, when Hayabusa returned to his business with the dirty dishes. She watched him rinsing the wooden plates, meticulously. When he dealt with the dishes, they had their meal together, and they walked back to the room which they rented reluctantly. Because there wasn't any other suitable place, he had to sleep beside her. Though it didn't disturb them both for it was a chilling cold night, and they had nothing but each other's warmth to overcome the cold.

They packed up their belongings, hastily, and left the _ryokan_ , early in the morning. They descended the slopes of the Mount Ryū, where they reached a river which carved its way through the concealed hills under the thick, stubborn forest. Though Hayabusa managed to spot the watermill through the woods and bushes, where they could pay for some supplies and a room to spend the night, by working in the mill. Kagura, who felt blameworthy of standing just so while he was working like an ant, wanted to help him this time. Nevertheless, he did not even let her to hold the axe, chopping the woods aside.

'Enough of this, Hayabusa,' she cried at last. 'I can't let you work like this until you wear yourself to death. I want to help you, but you refuse me, insistently. If you don't let me assist you, I'll go back to my family in Iga.'

'Kagura, you don't understand.' He paced up and down on the porch. 'I can't let you hurt yourself with such hard works...'

'I don't care,' she snapped, her cheeks reddened by anger. A moment later she approached him a little more, and with her feather-light touch on his shoulder, his eyes locked into hers. ' _Dai suki da yo_ , Hayabusa, I can't let you wear yourself away.'

Unexpectedly, she put a little kiss on his lips, then shifted away into the millhouse, while he was trying to figure out what happened. He never thought that she cared for him, and that kiss lead him to complex sentiments, in such troubled times of his.

He did not come by the room he rented, instead he decided to bat around the woods for a while, in order to purge his mind. He did not think that he could face his childhood friend, anyway, after the thing happened between them. Suddenly, he heard some suspicious rustling around him which stopped him for a moment. Just when he stepped into another shadow, an enormous flower bloomed in his previous shadow. 'Hanabi...' he whispered as he recognized the forbidden technique, and as he remembered how she scarred Kagura's beautiful face, he lost his temper.

'Finally, you figured out who I am...' She leapt on the ground in a graceful posture, and revealed her face by taking down her veil. Then she threw a shuriken towards him, which he dodged by jumping into another shadow.

'I don't know what you are trying to do, Hanabi, but I am going to make you pay for your betrayal,' he hissed, when he swung his katana but she parried him, with her shuriken, then hurled herself away from him.

'Betrayal?' she asked him confusedly.

'I know you are working for the Shadow Betrayer and trying to prevent my mission.'

After a moment of a silence, he heard a sly laughter. 'Do you really think I'm working for the Shadow Betrayer? Ah... I admire your imagination, Hayabusa, it amuses me.'

'Then, why are you attacking me all the time?' He inquired, lowering his weapon.

'Because, I don't want you to take him down,' she answered him, simply. 'He's my target, and I'll be the one who will defeat him. I can't let you do it.'

'You are lying, Hanabi, I won't believe in this bullshit.' He grabbed his katana tighter, getting himself ready to attack her. He never wanted things ended up like this, but he had no other choice.

'You'll never understand me, Hayabusa.' Hanabi somersaulted back, as she saw him charging, but once again, she was helpless against thousands of shadows piercing through her body, she felt the frustration of being defeated over again. While she was falling on the ground, weakly, with gravely wounds, her raven hair cascading down on her quaking shoulders, her _flaori_ torn apart and disheveled, her sweet scent of sakura evanescing in a strong smell of blood, Hayabusa caught her, in a way that she did not expect. ' _Kuso..._ You bested me, once again,' she whispered with tearful eyes. 'You were always better than me. All I wish was to get ahead of you for only one time.'

'I'm sorry, Hanabi,' Hayabusa told her in a low voice, feeling like it was all his fault that things turned out like this. He remembered the old days of their apprenticeship; every time he offered her his hand, each time she refused his help. He never thought that it was nothing but her jealousy that held the reins of her uneven actions. She wasted all those years after only one goal, which was somehow considered in vain at times, but that night was the first time he was able to see through the challenging fume that clouded her blazing eyes. Every trouble stood on their way was the very result of her evergreen jealousy, which neither scorched her love, nor warmed her heart. He had to be blinded to miss all these details, and this blindness lead him to accuse his rival of unforgivable things, though it seemed like Hanabi forgave him for this false accusation, or she did not even pay attention to his thoughts about her.

She, with her trembling hands, embraced his face, and slowly reached for his lips for a kiss which he did not refuse. He tasted every bittersweet moment of the past that they shared through the metallic flavor of blood on her flame red lips. Soon, he pulled himself back, as these familiar words reminded of themselves like, _body must obey the mind_...

In order to bind her wounds, Hayabusa loosened her sash, and her flaori slithered down on her shoulders. With rueful eyes by the sight of her doom, he wrapped some bandages around her deepest wounds beneath her armor, after he removed it carefully. Interrupting the silence which was burdened with unspoken but well-known bitter truths, 'You love her, don't you?' she asked in a soft whisper, looking at him with accusing eyes.

He remained silent, but the hesitant look in his eyes betrayed him. Hanabi neither added a couple of word, nor let him speak, and the night faded away into a brand new dawn.


End file.
